February 21, 2023 - Good Morning! It's Tuesday, February 21.
Hope you enjoyed the President's Day holiday. And now we celebrate again . . . Happy Mardi Gras!
Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the season of Lent that leads to Easter Sunday. The tradition was to indulge in rich foods and merriment on Fat Tuesday that would be discouraged during Lent. Mardi Gras parades and festivities are held in St. Louis, Mobile, Galveston, Shreveport, and, of course, New Orleans.
Some people call today Shrove Tuesday from the old English word for confession. It’s also called Pancake Day, and many churches are having pancake breakfasts this morning. Other churches commemorate this day by burning the palm branches from last spring's Palm Sunday. The ashes from that fire are used to mark the sign of the cross on the foreheads of Ash Wednesday worshippers.
Colorful traditions that have spiritual foundations. Easter is coming and we should prepare our hearts and minds and souls to celebrate that great day!
Meet you back here tomorrow,
Bro. David
dmathis@fbccenter.org
